Pro-Consumer Percentage: 100% The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2015 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their "Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage" is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

Would have made it illegal for Indiana’s Executive Branch to pass policies that are tighter for public health than what the U.S. EPA does, for those situations where the EPA has set standards. While the EPA has acted decisively to protect our air quality, there are many areas where the EPA has been, caweak. The EPA has not adequately protected the public from such serious environmental problems as pollution from fracking, factory farm manure pits, and outdoor wood boilers. HB 1082 was also called the “No More Stringent Than Bill”.

Votes on HB1082: 2 votes; both Pro-Consumer

HB1053: Regulation of packaging materialsStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

Amends the home rule statute to prohibit a local government unit from: (1) regulating: (A) certain activities with respect to reusable or disposable auxiliary containers designed for one time use or for transporting merchandise or food from food or retail facilities (auxiliary containers); or (B) a manufacturer of, a distributor of, or a food or retail facility that sells, provides, or otherwise makes use of, auxiliary containers, in connection with certain activities involving auxiliary containers; or (2) imposing any prohibition, restriction, fee, or tax with respect to auxiliary containers or to a manufacturer of, a distributor of, or a food or retail facility that sells, provides, or otherwise makes use of, auxiliary containers, in connection with certain activities involving auxiliary containers. Essentially, HB 1053 completely does away with local control by preempting city or county policies regulating plastic bags.

Votes on HB 1053: Pro-Consumer

SB15: Fresh Food InitiativeStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

Establishes the food desert grant and loan program within the state department of health's division of nutrition and physical activity to assist new businesses, existing businesses, and other legal entities to offer fresh and unprocessed foods within a food desert. Defines "food desert". Requires the division to establish: (1) criteria for awarding grants and making loans under the program; and (2) terms and conditions for recipients of the grants and loans. Provides that the recipient of a grant or loan: (1) may use the proceeds only to acquire, repair, or renovate property or equipment to be used in offering fresh and unprocessed foods within a food desert; and (2) shall not use the proceeds to acquire food to be sold. Establishes the food deserts fund for purposes of awarding grants and loans under the program.

Votes on SB15: Pro-Consumer

SB347: Water resourcesStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

This bill enables more comprehensive reporting of water resource issues including water distribution challenges and infrastructure needs.

Votes on SB347:

Committee Votes: Pro-Consumer

Senate Floor Votes: Pro-Consumer

SB383: System integrity adjustmentsStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

SB383 creates a new tracker for water utilities to use for infrastructure improvements and repairs with some important “first of its kind” accountability measures imposed on the utility. More importantly, SB383 includes a new policy statement from the legislature, which is applicable to all public utilities, declaring that utility bills should be affordable for current and future generations. CAC offered strong support for this important policy direction from the legislature.

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 75% The following is a synopsis of how the Representative voted in the 2015 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their "Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage" is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

After the State Legislature killed Indiana’s incredibly effective efficiency programs (Energizing Indiana) last year, Gov. Pence promised a strong efficiency bill this year. What we got instead was a bill that allows utilities to run their own efficiency programs without strong goals being set in Indiana’s energy policy. It allows utilities to steal the economic benefits of energy efficiency from customers by charging us hundreds of millions for energy we don’t use because of efficiency measures. This bill is so bad, Hoosiers would be better off without any bill at all.Vote on SB 412:

Committee vote: 2 votes; both Pro-Consumer

House floor vote: 3 votes; 2 Pro-Consumer, 1 Anti-Consumer

HB 1320: Generation of electricity by distributed generationStatus: Died in the House

Distributed generation primarily refers to small-scale solar and wind. The utilities are attacking rooftop solar and small-scale wind because it allows us to compete with them. HB 1320 would have killed net metering, which allows you to generate electricity and get credited for the excess power that you send to the grid at the same price that you pay the utility for it. HB 1320 would have let the utilities cut that credit by about 75%. It also would have allowed the utilities to charge a monthly fee on customers for using solar and wind and set their own rules for connection, which would have allowed them to add even more extra charges for connecting to the grid. That would have let them price small-scale solar and wind out of the market, eliminating their competition and stifling consumer choice by “taxing” self-generated electricity.

Vote on HB 1320:

Committee vote: Pro-Consumer

HB1351: Restrictions on rulemakingStatus: Died in the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee

Voids state administrative rules, guidelines, and other policies or standards that are not specifically authorized by state statue or do not implement a federal requirement. Establishes the office of regulatory accountability in the legislative services agency to review administrative rules for compliance with regulatory goals specified by the general assembly.

Vote on HB 1351: Pro-Consumer

SJR 2: Right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlifeStatus: As a joint resolution, SJR2 did not require the Governor's approval. The measure was approved by two consecutive and separately elected legislative bodies for placement into Indiana's Constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 2 is an amendment to the Indiana State Constitution "that provides that the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife is a valued part of Indiana's heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good."

CAC's concern with this bill was that it is unnecessary and that "wildlife" is not well defined, so this proposed amendment could put the interests of big farmers above those of other Hoosiers. Granting factory farms special protection in the Indiana State Constitution puts an end to local control, taking away to the ability of local communities to pass local ordinances that protect their interests. No industry should have special protections in the Indiana Constitution.

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 14% The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2014 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their "Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage" is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 340: Demand Side Management ProgramsStatus: Became law without Gov. Pence's signature CAC fought long and hard to help bring energy efficiency programs to Indiana. These programs have been running for a couple of years now, and they're working - energy efficiency is reducing the demand for electricity in our state. This reduces the need to build more power plants, which means we don't have to pay for more power plants, which keeps our electric bills from skyrocketing. SB340 dismantles energy efficiency programs in Indiana. SB340 is simply bad public policy.

Vote on SB 340:

Committee vote: Anti-Consumer

Senate floor vote: 2 votes; both Pro-Consumer

SB 186: State Policy on Agriculture and Farmers' RightsStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

Senate Bill 186 is being promoted as a way to protect farmer’s rights. In reality this bill puts the interests of big farmers above those of other Hoosiers. It is completely unnecessary and puts other property owners, our environment and rural communities at risk. Granting factory farms special protection in state law will put an end to local control, taking away to the ability of local communities to pass local ordinances that protect their interests. No industry should have special protections in the law. Many Hoosiers who live in close proximity to factory farms are already suffering from their effects. Our rights need to be protected!

Vote on SB 186: 2 votes; both Pro-Consumer

SJR 9: Right to Hunt, Fish, and Harvest WildlifeStatus: Passed the 2014 Indiana General Assembly. This is a proposed constitutional amendment, so it can now be proposed again in the next session of the legislature that convenes after a general election has taken place.

Provides that the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife is a valued part of Indiana's heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good. CAC's concern with this bill is that "wildlife" is not well defined, and so this bill could turn into something akin to SB186 (above).

Vote on SJR 9: Anti-Consumer

SB 101: Agricultural Operations and Criminal Tresspass (Ag Gag)Status: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

Senate Bill 101, the 2014 version of Ag-Gag, would have had a chilling effect on the public’s right to know how our food is produced and processed. In its original form, this bill would have made it a crime to expose illegal or unethical practices at farms in Indiana.

We were able to neutralize the bill's impact on consumers with the amendments that were inserted in the Senate committee, and we helped to keep bad language from creeping back into the bill as it moved through the process. We are pleased that once again this year we helped to stop big ag's attempts to operate in secret and to preemptively prevent whistleblowers from exposing their inhumane and unsafe practices.

Vote on SB 101: 2 votes; both Pro-Consumer

HB 1391: CHOICE programStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

Changes asset limitations within the community and home options to institutional care for the elderly and disabled program (program) from $500,000 to $250,000 and specifies certain exemptions. This bill expands the CHOICE Home Care Program to allow more Hoosiers to have access to the in-home care services they need. For more on the CHOICE program, click here.

Vote on HB 1391: 3 votes; all Pro-Consumer

HB 1162: Certificates of Need for UtilitiesStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

The issue of competitive procurement was brought to the General Assembly in an attempt to bring fairness and transparency to the process of the electric utilities decision making process with respect to securing resources to serve the needs of their customers. Currently, Indiana law does not require the utilities to conduct a public bidding process when they need additional generation resources, whether they need new generation or are considering expensive modifications to existing resources. A public and transparent process would help to ensure that the utilities were in fact selecting the resource which would provide service to their customers at the “least cost” reasonably possible. However, HB1162 was amended in the House Utility Committee to cement the existing, flawed process into law, which changes nothing and creates the false appearance that Indiana now has a “competitive” process in place. HB1162 is nothing more than an attempt by the utility lobby to put an end to this necessary conversation and maintain the status quo.

Vote on HB 1162:

Committee vote: Anti-Consumer

Senate floor vote: Anti-Consumer

HB1143: Environmental Rules and Standards Status: Died in the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee

Would have prohibited the environmental rules board from adopting a rule or standard that is more stringent than the corresponding regulation or standard established under federal law. Makes corresponding changes in the law concerning the adoption of environmental rules.

Vote on HB 1143: Pro-Consumer

2013 Voting Records: Representative Christina Hale (D, District 87)

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 80% The following is a synopsis of how the Representative voted in the 2013 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their "Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage" is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 560 Utility TransmissionStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence This bill will virtually allow Indiana electric and natural gas to raise your rates automatically, and at the same time deregulate most of their monopoly revenue and profits.

Rep. Hale's vote on SB 560:

Committee Vote: Anti-Consumer

House Floor Vote: 6 Votes - 5 Pro-Consumer, 1 Anti-Consumer

SB 494/510 Substitute Natural Gas Status: Signed into law by Gov. Pence Restores some regulatory oversight over the proposed Indiana Gasification/Leucadia coal-to-gas plant in Rockport, IN by defining what is meant by a "guarantee of savings" to ratepayers and requiring the IURC to ensure that ratepayers are provided an actual guarantee of savings from this project.

The original language in SB510 promised to protect consumers from unreasonable and excessive charges for substitute natural gas (SNG) from the proposed Indiana Gasification/Leucadia coal-to-gas plant in Rockport, IN. SB 510 died in the House.

Rep. Hale's vote on SB 494/510:

Committee Vote: Pro-Consumer

House Floor Vote: 2 Votes - both Pro-Consumer

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The CAC Mission: To initiate, facilitate and coordinate citizen action directed to improving the quality of life of all inhabitants of the State of Indiana through principled advocacy of public policies to preserve democracy, conserve natural resources, protect the environment, and provide affordable access to essential human services.